Greek Trilogy

About Trilogy

Of over hundred plays written by Sophocles only seven survive and three of them, the tragedies of Oedipus namely- Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone are based on Theban legends.The synopsis of this trilogy which is consistent in theme and character is as follows- The abode of Cadmus was burnt to ashes because of wrath of the Gods. After long struggle Cadmus and his later posterity came to power one after another. At one point Oedipus came to the throne of Thebes. But predestined suffering dragged him to the brink of that formidable sin and execution of the Oracle came true without his prior-knowledge.” The Oracle was that he was destined one day to kill his father and to become his own mother’s husband.” Oedipus had to pass through unbearable anguish and trauma, and his descendents also became the victim of that curse. Etiocles and Polynices Oedipus’s two sons met their ends in a duel and his daughter Antigone was buried alive at her uncle Creon’s behest. The entire family met their collapse for the cursed whim of destiny. Ever-increasing crime dragged them hereditarily to this inevitable doom.

 

About Sophocles

Sophocles (496-406 B.C) was born in Colonus, not far from Athens, the city whose culture would shape the dramatist. The son of an armor manufacturer. Sophocles held a number of significant political positions in addition to being one  of the best dramatists  in his age, an age in which his dramatic peers included the famous playwrights Euripides and Aeschylus. He lived and wrote during an era known as the Golden age of Athens, a time of transition for Greece, when political and cultural events were changing and shaping Athenian culture. Sophocles was also an actor and performed in many of his early works. Athens held a dramatic competition every year, at the festival of Dionysus. Sophocles won first prize 18 times at the festival. Year after year, Sophocles tragedies gained recognition as among the best dramas written at a time when competition was at its highest. The fact that his works are studied today, approximately 2,400 years after they were written, is a testament to the power of his words and the impact that stories have on current culture.

Director’s Note

Staging the Theban plays, the Trilogy, of a great master playwright Sophocles is a challenge for me. I read Oedipus and other plays more then 100 times. In every seconds  I was thrilled, mesmerised and spell-bounded by the kniting of plots and use of the riddles and power of unwritten law. References to eyesight and vision, both literal and metaphorical, are very frequent in all three of the Theban plays. Quite often, the image of clear vision is used as a metaphore for knowledge and insight. Overall, the plays seem to say that, human being can demonstrate remarkable power of intelectual penetration and insight, and that they have a great capacity for khowledge, but that even the smartest human being is liable to error, that the human capability for knowledge is ultimately quite limited and unreliable.

Performing Trilogy, in a row, is an extreme effort and I believe, my Fameans were faithful and have utilised their capability for knowing the unknowing, reveal the truth. They have embraced the challenge with an aim to dazzale the viewers of the Modern time, with limited resources – unlimted intrerest.

 

The Thespians Of The Theban Plays:

 

King Oedipus

Oedipus                                     :         Sumon Barua/Mubidur Rahman Sujat

Jocasta                                       :         Rowshan Ara Ruma/Swanupama Sengupta/ Nazia Tabassum

Creon                                          :         Imtiaz Barshon/Rumal Barua

Teiresias                                    :         Al Nomaan /Shahriar Md. Shiblee/ Jishu Das/ Kamal Barua

A Boy Leading Teiresias       :         Shonjoy Das/ Anindya Suprotim Chakraborty/ Pronommo Anindya

A Priest                                      :         Tapos Chakraborty

A Messenger                           :         Prem Pathak

A Shepherd                              :         Imtiaj Barshon/Saifur Rahman Parves/ Aabir Mandal

An Attendant                          :         Bappi Sikder, Hoimonty Akter Tuly

Little Antigone & Ismene    :         Anwesha Das, Aanchal Banik Gungun,Kabbo Kotha Proteety, Archy

Chorusof Theban Elders      :         Poly Chowdhury Boby

                                                                Nishigandha Das Gupta

                                                                Shahidul Alam Sabit, Azim Uddin

                                                                Jahedul Hashan, Nazia Tabassum Nancy

                                                                Khadijatul Kubra Rishika, Tapos Chakraborty

Abu Abdullah Shaikat, Sanowar Sumon, Aabir Mandal Utpal Das Gupta, Dipta Chakraborty, Sabiha Binte Jashim,Ashrafa Hossen, Azmal Hossen

Citizens of Thebes                 :         Boby,Parves,Nancy, Bappi, Prem, Sabit, Sumon

Nishi, Swanupama, Rishika, Shaikat, Azim, Aabir,Utpal, Dipta, Ashrafa, Nobin, Sabiha,Jahed, Anindya, Gungun, proteety,archi,Pronommo & Anwesha.

 

OEDIPUS AT COLONUS

Oedipus                                     :         Sumon Barua/Mubidur Rahman Sujat

Antigone                                   :         Poly Chowdhury Boby

Ismene                                       :         Akhi Majumder/Nazia Tabassum Nancy

Theseus                                     :         Mubidur Rahman Sujat/Shahriar Md. Shiblee/ Abdul Kader Jitu

Creon                                          :         Al Nomaan/Rumal Barua

Polynices                                   :         Imtiaz Barshon/Saifur Rahman Parves/ Aabir Mandal

A Countryman of Colonus  :         Prem Pathak

A Messenger                           :         Tapos Chakraborty

Attendants of Theseus        :         Tapos Chakraborty, Abu Abdullah Shaikat

Attendants of Creon            :         Prem Pathak, Jahedul Hashan

Chorus of Elders of Colonus :      Shahidul Alam Sabit, Nishigandha Das Gupta

                                                                Azim Uddin, Khadijatul Kubra Rishika

Bappi Sikder, Swanupama Sengupta, Sanowar Sumon, Ashrafa Hossain, Dipta Chakrabarty, Sabiha Binte Jashim, Utpal Das Gupta.

 

ANTIGONE

 

Antigone                                   :         Poly Chowdhury Boby

Ismene                                       :         Akhi Majumder/Nazia Tabassum Nancy

Creon                                          :         Al Nomaan/Rumal Barua

Eurydice                                     :         Najmin Sultana Ch. Munmun /Khadijatul Kubra Rishika/ Ashrafa Hossain

Haemon                                     :         Nurul Absar/Mubidur Rahman Sujat

Teiresias                                    :         Imtiaz Barshon /Shahriar Md. Shiblee/Jishu Das/ Kamal Barua

A Boy Leading Teiresias       :         Shanjoy Das/Anindya Suprotim Chakraborty

A Sentry                                     :         Imtiaz Barshon/Shahriar Md. Shiblee/ Kamal Barua

A Messenger                           :         Bappy Sikder

Soldiers                                      :         Saifur Rahman Parves

                                                                Jahedul Hasan

                                                                Bappy Sikder

                                                                Abu Abdullah Shaikat

Chorus of Theban Elders     :         Shahidul Alam Sabit

                                                                Nishigandha Das Gupta

                                                                Swanupama Sengupta

                                                                Sanowar Sumon

                                                                Hoimonty Akter Tuly

                                                                Prem Pathak

                                                                Tapos Chakraborty

                                                                Aabir Mandal

                                                                Dipta Chakrabarty

                                                                Sabiha Binte Jashim

                                Utpal Das Gupta.

Credit

Set, Light, Costume & Music Design         :               Ashim Das

Music Control                                                    :               Kamal Barua/ Abdul Kader Jitu/ Sohrab Hiro

Props Making                                                    :               Amllan Barua

Mask Making                                                     :               Showkat Ali                         

Make-up                                                             :               Shahe noor Sarwar/ Tapos Chakraborty

Set Making                                                         :               Abdul Malek

FOH                                                                       :               Fameans

Production Manager                                      :               Showmen Rudra

Acknowledgement                                         :               Dulal Dasgupta